My feet are tired and painful. The breeze is gashing into my body like arrows that the wind had shot. It creeps into my skin until it reaches the depths of me. And it hurts to be running non-stop on this freezing and windy night.
"I have to keep going. Otherwise, I will end up dead," I keep telling myself whenever I feel tired.
I don't know where I am now. When my brother told me to run, I kept going and never looked back.
Killian, my brother, I wonder if he escaped the ten werewolves after us. Remembering him wounded but still fighting just to save me made me want to cry. I lost my mom and dad five days back, and now probably my brother, too. I am enraged and sorrowful from the pack we have served diligently. But this is how they repay us. They are taking our lives one by one.
Suddenly, my feet felt wobbly, making me stumble onto the ground. And just as I was about to stand up, something jumped on me.
I fought back, and we rolled on the ground. But because I am so tired, I no longer have enough strength to fight. I got pinned down so quickly that I couldn't move.
"Give it up, Wren! Alpha Conri wants you. He might spare your life if you agreed to be his mate," Casper shouted.
"I don't want to be the mate of that ruthless wolf," I shouted back.
"You can only partly shift, and soon other members of the pack will be here. You cannot fight all of us; you will end up dead!"
"I would rather die than be with Conri!"
I tried to free myself, but Casper punched me in the face. It made me feel groggy that I was about to lose my consciousness.
But out of nowhere, someone jumped at Casper, freeing me from his grasp. It was so fast that I did not see who it was. I tried to lift my head, but it felt heavy then I was down.
I woke up with a severe headache in a room I didn't recognize. I groaned in pain as I touched my head.
"Are you okay?" a husky voice said.
I looked up. A tall man stood with stormy gray eyes, a handsome face, and a gorgeous athletic body. My eyes widened, wondering who he was.
"Who are you? Where am I?" I asked in a low voice.
"You are in my house," he said.
"Who are you?" I asked again.
"I should ask you that first."
"Look, I am sorry, but my head is hurting really bad, and I could not remember how I got here."
"I saved you.
"Oh, right! I was fighting to be free of Casper when someone jumped on him. After that, I lost my consciousness.
Was it you?"
"Yes. I heard you two arguing. Usually, I don't intervene with problems of other packs, but when I saw that wolf, Casper, punched you, I did not like it."
"Hmm. Thank you!"
"We will talk about what happened when you are feeling better. For now, are you able to stand?"
"Yes, why?"
"Come out and eat. You need to eat."
He turned and walked out of the room. I stood with my feet still sore and painful. But I followed him downstairs to the dining table. He has a big house, so I assumed he comes from a wealthy family.
He took a seat at the very end of the table facing the door that we passed through to get there.
"Please, have a sit!"
I did as I was told and sat next to him on his right. We looked at each other for a second. I was wondering what was on his head right now. Usually, I am a good judge of someone's character even if I just meet the person. But he is different. I cannot read him. His coldness makes it hard to predict what he says or does next.
"That Casper has hit you pretty badly. You have a bruise underneath your right eye. It's probably the reason why your head hurts. But don't worry, I had a doctor check you yesterday, and he said you will be fine."
"Yesterday!?"
He nodded.
"How long have I been here?"
"Twenty-four hours. The doctor said you were pretty exhausted and needed a lot of rest. You must have been running without food and water for days now."
The doctor was right in saying that I was exhausted as hell. I ran for four days and only stopped to sleep in a cave for possibly an hour or two the day before yesterday. But one member of Conri's pack saw me, so I ran again.
He was studying my expression, possibly trying to read what it is on my mind.
"Eat up! Regain your strength, and then once you are ready, you can tell me what happened."
I looked at the food, and my stomach started to growl. I have not eaten for four days, and looking at the food right now makes me so hungry. I felt ashamed, but the man in front of me just smiled.
"Come on, eat up. You have to feed that hungry stomach of yours."
I started eating a little piece of the steak. But damn! It tasted so good. I can't help but gobble the food.
"Slowly! You might choke," he said, laughing.
I felt embarrassed. "I am sorry. I just have not eaten for four days straight, and this is my first food," I said.
"I know, but still, you must take it a little slow."
I slowed down out of embarrassment.
"That's better."
"You did not tell me your name." I just remembered asking.
"You did not tell me yours, either."
I looked at him first, thinking whether it would be fitting to tell him who I was and why I had been running. He just watched me, studying every move I did and my expression. It isn't easy to know what is on his mind. But I feel it was rude to deny him the truth when he saved my life. And if Conri finds out, he will wreak havoc between two packs. So, should I trust him that easily?